How to Make a Necklace: Create Pendants in Mokume Gane, with Bezel-Set Stones and More

If there’s a faster or easier way to perk up a simple outfit or add color to a neutral ensemble than by donning a handmade statement necklace, I don’t know what it is. That’s why we compiled this FREE eBook on how to make a necklace exclusively for you!

I love making necklaces and pendants because it’s an easy, rewarding process; you don’t have to make two that match, like earrings, and there’s no detailed sizes to worry about, like rings. Now you can learn to make three pendants and necklaces in our free eBook, Make Pendant Necklaces: How to Make a Pendant and Other Necklace Designs, while also learning many metalsmithing techniques like soldering, dapping, metal stamping, bezel making, stone setting, and more.

Is there a faster or easier way to add interest to a simple outfit or add color to a neutral ensemble than by donning a handmade statement necklace? Plus, learning how to make a necklace and pendant is an easy, rewarding process; you don’t have to make a matching pair—as with earrings—and there’s no sizing—as with rings. You can learn to make three completely different pendants and DIY necklaces in our free tutorial on how to make necklaces while also learning many metalsmithing techniques like soldering, dapping, metal stamping, bezel making, stone setting and more.

Being so near the face and basically at eye level, necklaces are surely the most eye-catching and attention-grabbing pieces of jewelry … so they need to be fabulous, right? Merle White, Editorial Director of Interweave’s Jewelry Group, says, “Necklaces simply stand out: if you’re going to wear just one piece of jewelry that you want to be noticed, it’s probably going to be a necklace.” And while everyone is noticing, imagine how fun it will be to say, “I made this necklace myself!”

Learn how to make a necklace and more with these free necklace-making projects:

How to Make a Pendant

Chinese Inspired Stone Pendant by Lexi Erickson
Learn to make this eye-catching piece from Lexi, a master metalsmith and teacher. In addition to the how-to, Lexi shares valuable tips and techniques from her decades of experience, including info about how to set an offset stone, stick soldering, using flux while annealing, creating subtle “picket” tabs to hold a stone in place, and more. “When looking at the stone,” Lexi says, “I thought of the fireworks for the Olympics in Beijing, and the lovely Chinese chrysanthemums. I wanted to incorporate those feelings with the stone, and by offsetting the stone, a design was born.”

How to Make a Beaded Pendant

Disco Darling by Kiersten Giles
Kiersten’s necklace shows off a great way to use sometimes-difficult-to-design-with disc beads. By turning them flat instead of on end, Kiersten shows off the beauty of the stones and achieves maximum color from her materials. Using disc beads this way also creates opportunities for unique connections like wiring and rivets. The result is a big and bold statement necklace that anyone can make in an afternoon. It also features tutorials in metalsmithing such as dapping, metal stamping, and more.

DIY Mokume Gane Pendant Tutorial

Mokume Gane Heart Pendant by Roger Halas
Pendant making creates a versatile piece of jewelry that can change with a swap of its cord or chain, creating a new look in seconds. Roger’s beautiful heart pendant is a lesson in mokume gane, forging, patina, stone setting, bail making, and more; and if making your own mokume gane billet is too much for now, you can use purchased mokume gane sheet and continue making the project from there. “Altogether, this is a challenging exercise,” Roger says, “but if you keep your head clear, you will end up with a result that will dazzle that special someone in your life.”

You’ll find three free projects on how to make a necklace that are both accessible and challenging to any jewelry maker. Whether you create your own necklace design or are making custom necklaces for others, you’ll find the instructions in each of these three projects that will help you get the look you want.

Necklaces come in all shapes and sizes, which is one of the great things about them if you like developing your own jewelry designs. You can make other types of jewelry in different styles from ancient to Edwardian to punk, too—you just have more ground to work with if you’re creating jewelry that’s worn around the neck. Pendants are perfect for showing off interesting patterns because you have enough room to show the whole pattern, but pendants work just as well for something small, simple and uniform.